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Token multitouch screen shows us the future of DJing, today (video)
Think you know multitouch surfaces? Think again. We've just come across a video demo of the Token multitouch, erm, pedestal, which seems to have come straight from the future. A clear sheet of glass that beams out video from your computer and accepts touch inputs in return, the Token concept has been designed by a chap named Rodrigo hailing out of Chile. We know it uses a rear projector for its video, but other construction details are scarce at this point; what's really special here, however, is the way he combines it with a Traktor Pro controller titled Emulator, turning a few intelligent finger swipes into a kickass light-and-sound show. See it on video after the break.
Samsung demos 19-inch transparent AMOLED display
We don't know what kind of display-making genii Samsung has locked away in its R&D labs, but the Korean giant is once again demonstrating a world's first. This time we're looking at a 19-inch transparent AMOLED display, taking the technology up from the 14-inch model we saw live at CES in January. The company has now achieved a 30 percent transparency on its designs, and its ideas for how they may be used are fittingly futuristic. Samsung envisions storefront advertising, à la your favorite sci-fi movie, as well as HUDs for helmets and car windshields -- maybe if TomTom can secure a supply of these screens, the dedicated GPS device can find a way to live on after all.
Sony Ericsson's £530 Pureness is 'iconic' not ironic
There's nothing typical about Sony Ericsson's Pureness handset so why should details about its launch differ? Brand Republic, a magazine focused on advertising, quotes Sony Ericsson's director of marketing, Cathy Davies, saying that the low-spec'd (said to lack GPS, camera, WiFi, and gasp, a touchscreen) candybar with translucent display will go on sale in November for £530 at Selfridges and "design museum shops." And if it wasn't already clear (get it?), SE says that it's positioning the device as "an iconic niche product, not mass-market." In other words, Harrods shoppers need not apply.[Via Techradar and Pocket-lint]
Video: Sony Ericsson's Pureness haunts the breathless wilds of Translutania
True, you can barely read the transparent display when viewed against a white background. But Sony Ericsson's XPERIA Pureness is quite possibly the most coveted handset on Earth. Impractical? Yes. Awesome? Most definitely. Proof that phones don't have to be touchscreen slates or even integrate a camera, GPS, or WiFi to be worthy of consumer lust.
Tint your Wii with a translucent case
Adding color to your console no longer means you'll have to void your warranty by breaking it open. While more complicated mods have you pulling off panels to replace the Wii's shell, GT Coupe's "crystal clear cases" -- available in blue, pink, green, white, and black -- allow you to just slip the system into the plastic housing for the desired hue. Each case come with a blue-LED-lined, cooling-fan-equipped stand to accommodate your refitted console.DealExtreme lists the Dazzle Colorful and Luxury Kit at about $30, but only has the pink case in stock. You can find the other colors for much cheaper ($22) if you're willing to make your purchase through eBay. Head past the break for a couple more photos of the kit.
Get your own Ghost Saber
Petopia has posted a Ghost Saber gallery, featuring pictures of, as far as I know, the only translucent pet in the game. It looks like it's stealthed, but to everyone, all the time (of course, when it's stealthed to other players, it's invisible to them, but you know what I mean). The gallery has some fun shots of this very unique pet.Petopia promises a "how to" on where to get your own soon, but if you don't want to wait, apparently it spawns at level 19 or 20 from "Glowing Cat Figurines" in the northernmost Naga area in Darkshore. Find cat figurines on the ground (Dwarven treasure tracking will find them, apparently), open them up, and there's a chance that the Ghost Saber will spawn. Tame him and he's yours. He may die soon afterwards (since the spawn has a usual despawn time), but even if he does, you can simple ressurrect him as long as you've tamed him as your pet.The low level of the pet, unfortunately, doesn't really make it easy for hunters who are already high level (since to get this guy up to 70 from 20 would just take way too long). But if you find one that's 19, it's perfect for battleground twinks or up and coming Hunters who want a cool, different pet.
Leopard's new menubar is hideous
I haven't watched the keynote yet, and I've been spending most of my time looking through the other new features of Mac OS X Leopard. After I found that non-transparent menubar mod for Leopard, however, I can't get over how hideous that new menubar really is. I also hate to say it, but Apple's secrecy with this UI change until now screams 'Cupertino borrowed one of Redmond's photocopiers' (the new Windows Vista, for those who haven't seen it, contains what many - including myself - consider to be a literally dizzying overabundance of transparent window borders and menus). Seriously: what is Apple thinking by turning the menubar nearly invisible, but keeping the 'just slightly' translucent aspect and white color of previous menus? I think this looks absolutely dreadful, as it doesn't even look like the menubar and the menus have anything to do with each other anymore, and I'll be damned if Apple takes the actual menus this translucent as well. In fact, if they went that over the edge, I could comfortably say that I wouldn't buy a copy of Leopard until someone developed a modification that switches the menubar and menu back from the brink of "hey look, Vista went transparent!"-ness (of course, a simple Apple-provided checkbox in System Preferences would do just fine as well).Given Peter Maurer's mod and disinterest in this change surfacing from others, I can only hope that more voice their opinion - whether they do or don't like it - and that Apple listens if it the consensus on this menubar change turns out to be a thumbs down. After all, Leopard still is a developer-only beta, and October is still a long way away.
Duo-Gard's IllumaWALL adds LED action to translucent architecture
We've seen plenty of illuminated wall applications, LED-infused or otherwise, but the green-minded folks over at Duo-Gard are integrating that disco-inspired action we all know and love into its translucent paneling, which gives buildings a breath of fresh sunlight throughout the day while cutting down on energy costs and potentially boosting your morale. The company's new IllumaWALL melds the benefits of daylighting panels with the completely unnecessary, but entirely sensational night-brightening action of LEDs, as the polycarbonate structures feature built-in, fully programmable lights that can output a steady ambient glow or put on "a light show of pulsating colors" if you're throwing a party at your pad. As expected, pricing on these panels vary greatly based on your installation needs, but if you're already looking to craft a new domicile or office building, and need to garner a bit of instant notoriety, IllumaWALL could do the trick.[Via Inhabitat]
